ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Kesha Ram Hinsdale and Purnima Nath face primaries
On August 11, Hinsdale is on the ballot for the Democratic primary with other incumbents Thomas Chittenden, Virginia Lyons and Joanna Grossman and Elizabeth Hunt.
-
1747754650.png)
Ishani Duttagupta - Tue, 11, Aug 2026
- 14:54 EDT
- 32
Kesha Ram Hinsdale and Purnima Nath / File Photo
Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale is seeking re-election to represent the Chittenden Southeast District, appearing on Tuesday’s Democratic primary ballot.
Serving a term that runs through January 2027, Hinsdale frequently highlights her Indian heritage: her father immigrated to the US from India, and she is the great-great-granddaughter of Sir Ganga Ram, the celebrated civil engineer and philanthropist famous for establishing major healthcare institutions, including Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
Also Read: L.A. mayoral race: Raman claims ouster as housing chair is political retaliation
According to her campaign statement, Hinsdale is running for re-election to Vermont’s State Senate “to fight for working families, our democracy, and our climate. Now is the time to dream and deliver, to advance a bold vision for our multicultural democracy while building a responsive government that meets the everyday needs of Vermonters.”
Hinsdale served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016 and at 22, was the youngest Indian American ever to be elected to a US state office. She was the first Asian American woman to serve in the Vermont State Senate when elected in 2020 to represent Chittenden District.
“I’m the first woman of colour in the Vermont State Senate. My Indian heritage and the many generations of family members who have served in public office is something that I’m proud of,” she said in an interview. Her late father, a business owner in LA, also helped instil in her a sense of public service.
Born in Los Angeles, Hinsdale moved to Vermont from California and graduated from University of Vermont and later got a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2018. “The mindset of giving back to the larger community and holding political offices, is now common among Indian American people too,” she said.
She is known for her advocacy and work for immigrants, people of colour and women in Vermont and believes that people who speak with accents like her or grew up in immigrant households, which depend on small businesses, need a bigger voice in public and government institutions.
Hinsdale was elected Vermont Senate majority leader on November 16, 2024. In 2016, she ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor and in January 2022, announced that she was running for the US House.
She later dropped out of that race. During her college years, she was University of Vermont student body president and an intern for Senator Dianne Feinstein (D).
On August 11, Hinsdale is on the ballot for the Democratic primary with other incumbents Thomas Chittenden, Virginia Lyons and Joanna Grossman and Elizabeth Hunt. Bruce Roy and Javen Sears are running for the Republican Primary.
Indian American Purnima Nath of the Republican Party is running for election to the US House to represent Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the Republican Primary on August 11.
Nath who immigrated to the US from India earned an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management. Her career experience includes working as a nonprofit founder, and strategy and management consultant, and engineer. She was elected as secretary for the Republican Party of Milwaukee County and alternate delegate for the 2024 Republican National Convention. Incumbent Gwen Moore and Amy Donahue are running for the Democratic Primary.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
Leave A Comment
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login